The Question
by stuckbeingrachel
Summary: After years and years of rejection, Jerome can't help himself from trying just one more time. A quick Jara one-shot, and I hope y'all enjoy it! This is dedicated to 'justkeeptyping' just because, I swear, I love her, she rocks! Part of this was based off of one of those screen shots of those text they have on FB a lot, have you seen those? Review if you've seen this one! R&R!


**This is dedicated to my most favorite author, here on FanFiction, justkeeptyping! She's an awesome gal and her stories absolutely rock! She's also a huge fan of Jara, if you know her or have even read one of her stories, you'd know that already! :D Hope ya like this!**

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Jerome could remember the happiness and the sadness and the anger he ever felt around Mara Jaffray. He tried to forget it but as she always did in high school, she slithered her way back in.

She was like a curse, one that hung over him and refused to end. She was like a drug, one that reeled him in and kept him coming back, and one that did no harm to his mind or body but to his heart. She was like a shot of whisky. After one, he needed another and then another and another. He had always loved that curse; he never wanted to quit that drug; or to stop drinking that brilliant shot.

But even when he tried his hardest, he never got her. She had never said yes. And after those two years of heartbreak, he decided on the third and fourth year that he wouldn't let her get to him and he stopped trying. He'd left the school after graduation and practically dropped off the face of the earth, whereabouts unbeknownst to everyone except his friends, minus Mara.

He'd left so that he could get over her and he'd fallen in love once, but then, once again, he must have not been good enough for her since she turned down his constant proposes of a date. He finally stopped and he tried to get over her. Forgetting that tall, thin, blonde, blue eyed beauty was easy, unlike when he tried with Mara.

He had always known, from the first moment he met her, that he would never love anyone as he loved her; that no one could fill that monstrous hole that was in his heart and soul, except her; the love never goes away. The memories haunted his dreams at night and he longed to hold her all night, just at least in the same room. He just wanted to hold her.

But then, he met her. The woman that he loved the same way as he once did Mara, maybe even more; the one that filled the hole in his heart and soul; the love went away – and came back stronger than before.

The woman sitting in front of Jerome sighed and twisted a strand of her dark hair around her pointer finger. She sipped her cup of tea and looked out the window café they sat in. Jerome watched her with a small smile. They had run into each other at a bookstore and decided to catch up over a cup of tea. In Jerome's opinion, it was a wonderful idea. Soon after they began to talk about their current lives he found out that she was single since Mick had broken up with her months ago for Joy. Mara had been fine with it; she hadn't really felt the same spark she did before, and she fully supported their relationship.

"So, what about you; are you married, have any kids?" Mara suddenly asked.

Jerome raised an eyebrow and pursed his thin, pink lips, shaking his head. "Nope."

"Jerome, you're a twenty-nine year old, handsome, blonde, blue eyed guy that could get any girl he wanted, but you're not married?" Mara scoffed. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it, Jaffray. I'm not married, nor have I ever been. I'm waiting for the right girl to say yes." he explained. "And don't go pointing fingers; you are a young, beautiful woman that could get any guy to fall to his knees and beg you to marry him, but you're not married? What's with that?"

"No man would fall to his knees for me." she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," he shrugged, looking away.

They were silent again and he stood, running a hand through his hair.

"Walk with me?" he arched a dark eyebrow at her and without a second thought she smiled and nodded, following him out of the café.

Mara pulled her white winter coat closer to her, shivering at the sudden chill, and stuffed her hands in her pockets, pulling out her fuzzy purple gloves, ones that were a gift from Amber for Christmas. Jerome, however, didn't feel anything but a slight breeze. He had a grey blazer over a white dress shirt that had the top few buttons undone and a red and black ascot peeking out of it. The heat, that Mara didn't know she was emanating, kept him warm.

They strolled down the shoveled streets of London, peering in shop windows as they passed them. They didn't speak, comfortable with the silence that had settled over them. They neared a park, snow had fallen over the playground but the children that were there had seemed to make the most of it and converted them into forts for their snowball fight.

The two took a seat on a cleared bench and Mara shivered again.

"Let's keep walking, it's too cold to stay in one place and not move." She stood up but Jerome shook his head, gripping her elbow.

"Come here," he pulled her down to sit next to him and tugged her into his side, wrapping his arms around her.

After a moment of awkward thoughts, Mara relaxed into his embrace, giving into his natural heat and expensive cologne. Without thinking, she took a deep breath through her nose, breathing in the cologne, along with the scent of freshly ground coffee. She was never a fan of coffee but he made it smell appealing.

In high school she had developed a small – okay, not so small – crush on the blonde, near the end of their second year. He'd pushed her away in the third year and her feelings for him grew. She eventually fell in love with him and then he left for college. She had been crushed and she'd gotten over him a few years later. But then she'd seen his hair, over the top of one of the bookshelves at the bookstore. She couldn't help herself when she crossed around the shelf and found him standing there, flipping through a random book. And she had fallen in love with him again.

She sighed and leaned her head back, resting on his shoulder. His arms tightened around her and he held his breath. She didn't pull away and he grinned like a fool on the inside. She was enjoying this, she wasn't pushing him away, or rejecting him – his happiness was over the moon.

Then, he decided to speak, bringing them back into the topic of marriage. "But you are coming to my wedding." He told her.

"You already know who you're marrying?" she chuckled, twisting around a little to look him in the eyes, but she didn't back out of his hold on her. She had said it teasingly but Jerome had seen a quick flash of sadness and jealousy in her brown eyes.

"Yeah, she's gorgeous."

"Oh, I bet."

"She's absolutely perfect; she just makes my life worth living. Without her, I am nothing." He explained. He was taking such a risk, but he couldn't keep himself from at least trying. He hoped to God he wouldn't be rejected, once again.

"Cool…" she sighed. Her shoulders had tensed and she slid out of his embrace, to the end of the bench, disappointment clouding her flawless face. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold.

"So I have a question," Jerome started, watching her intently with hopeful eyes.

"What?" she asked, licking her lips before turning to him with shimmering eyes.

"Will you marry me?" he finished.

Mara face went from hurt to surprise in seconds and it took a moment for her brain to process what he'd just said. "What?" her voice, barely above a whisper.

"Mara Jaffray," he said softly, sliding off the bench to the ground to sit on his knees in front of her, not caring that the snow was seeping through his pant legs quickly. He grabbed her small, warm hands in his cold, pale ones and held them tightly. "I've loved you since…forever. I can't remember my life before you and I don't want to. I'll never stop loving you, trust me, I've tried. Will you please, please, _please _marry me?"

"You're begging on your knees for me." she stated quietly.

"I told you," he smirked at her.

"Yes, yes, I will marry you." she nodded quickly, tears building in her eyes.

He swallowed. "Why?"

"Because I love you?" she shrugged, blushing warming her freezing cheeks.

"How long, how long have you loved me?" he demanded his answer, voice shaky and nervous. He was surprised by how much his nerves had come out during that small period of time.

"Since…the third year of high school." she bit her lip in embarrassment.

"The third year…" he said slowly and then scoffed.

"What?"

Jerome looked at her with an annoyed smile. "I stopped trying to get you to go out with me during the third year. We could have started dating years ago!"

"Or, I could have fallen in love with you much sooner."

"You were blinded by the Meathead." He grumbled.

Mara let go of his hand and he grabbed for it.

"Wait, Mara, I'm sorry, I didn't mean It." he pleaded.

She shook her head and let go of his other hand, reaching out and threading her fingers into his gloriously soft, blonde locks. He sighed at the feeling and watched her.

"Better late than never." She shrugged.

"Kiss me, Mara." He smiled – more like smirked – at her.

She didn't waste any time in pushing forward and crushing his lips with hers. His hands moved from her thighs to her neck and he pulled her closer to him, gaining entrance in a minute.

"Ew!"

They broke apart and their eyes flitted to the group of kids that stood, watching them.

"Oh, they just ruined a perfectly good make-out session." Jerome grumbled.

"Jerome," Mara scolded in a soft but firm voice. "Sorry, guys, we'll leave you to your snowball fight." She called to the children.

Some gave her smiles while the others waved them off and went back to the game.

Mara took Jerome's hand in hers and pulled him off his knees and out of the park. Once on the side walk, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his quickly. "I love you."

Without another thought, Jerome captured her face in his hands and brought her lips to his in a head spinning kiss. "I love you too."

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**This actually has to be one of my most favorite one-shots (that I've written) ever! I really liked it, and I hope you did too! Review?**

**How was New Year's Eve and Day for y'all?**

**I've got more Jara ideas where this one came from, can't wait to get 'em up so y'all could read 'em!**

**I've got a new poll up! Two girls (you'll understand once you see the poll)!**

**I just pre-ordered the new BVB CD last night, who else did? :D**

_**Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. -Deuteronomy 6:5**_

**I love you guys!**

**-Rachel**


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